5 Controversial Summer 2015 Menswear Trends

Forget everything you thought you knew about looking good, because this season there’s a slew of anti-fashion trends that have come crawling out of sartorial obscurity to invade your wardrobe.

And we’re here to guide you on the path to stylish righteousness by showing you how to pull off some of these obscure, downright hard-to-wear items like a boss.

1. The Bucket Hat

You’re neither an ageing rapper who refuses to retire nor a vacationing dad with an ever-spreading bald spot to conceal, so you’re probably wondering whether a bucket hat is even for you.

The answer, of course, is that it is – and there’s a design for everyone. In terms of headwear, there are few options as powerful or that kick out the same levels of knowingly ironic nostalgia as a bucket hat.

Trouble being, you don’t want to look like a parody of your 1990s self, so the key to pulling one off is to ensure you team it with modern streetwear staples such as longline tees and distressed denim to bring things bang up to date.

Also, if you’re not known for your natty prints, stick to styles in plain navy, khaki or black.

Key Pieces

Penfield Palm Leaf Bucket Hat In Black And Green

Vans Undertone Bucket Hat In Blue

Topman Black Striped Bucket Hat

Asos Bucket Hat In Colour Block

Obey Grandeur Bucket Hat

A.p.c. Mens Navy Bob Bucket Hat

2. Cropped Trousers

Before cropped trousers reached their current level of sartorial ubiquity, the eye-watering term ‘mankles’ lay dormant in the brain of some #menswear journalist waiting impatiently to coin fashion’s next big portmanteau.

Now, of course, you seemingly can’t move for mankles, as cropped trousers have become the go-to legwear for style-conscious men at formal occasions across the country. Don’t get us wrong – we’re into cropped tailoring in a big way – but it’s time to move beyond simply wearing yours as part of a suit.

Break with convention and combine yours with a killer pair of trainers, a lightweight jacket and luxe sweatshirt for a laid-back weekend ensemble.

Smart ankles grazers will help elevate a casual outfit like this a couple of notches, which means you can move between park, pub and sticky dancefloor without having to head home and change.

Key Pieces

Asos Skinny Fit Smart Cropped Trousers

Allsaints Booth Trousers

Allsaints Tallis Trouser

Burton Light Grey Slim Fit Ankle Grazer Trousers

Next Skinny Cropped Trouser

Jil Sander Slim-fit Stretch-cottontrousers

3. Statement Footwear

Thanks to the likes of Wiz Khalifa and Justin Bieber, red hi-tops had a moment a little while ago. Though they’ve since, mercifully, fallen off the radar, they did lay the foundations for this summer’s current crop of eye-popping kicks.

For SS15, statement footwear comes in the form of punchy plimsolls finished in futuristic metallics, strokably soft pony skins and fresh patterns – with everyone from Vans to Kurt Geiger producing slip-on options for the man who wants to put his best, most stylish foot forward.

Wear yours with a simple, pared-down outfit, comprising a white crew neck tee and a pair of pinrolled indigo jeans – letting your footwear do all the talking.

Key Pieces

Asos Slip On Plimsolls In Leopard Print Effect

Asos Slip On Plimsolls With Snakeskin Effect

Caunton Kg Kurt Geiger

Comme Des Garcons Shirt X The Generic Man Embossed Slip-on Sneakers

Axel Arigato Slip-on Pony Hair Plain Dark Green Pony Hair

Vans Vault Mens Yellow Classic Canvas Slip-on Sneakers

4. Double Denim

Donning your finest Canadian tuxedo has finally passed through the stage of being considered a serious sartorial taboo to establish itself as one of the biggest, easiest trends to rock this summer.

Formerly an offence punishable by near-guaranteed social exclusion, wearing a denim shirt/jacket with jeans is now seriously de rigueur, and has been championed by a whole host of stylish celebrities, including Kanye West and David Beckham.

And the great thing is that this time around, the double denim trend has fewer rules – you can match your washes or mix up your cuts. That said, the easiest way to carry off double denim is to offset lighter shirts with darker denim on the bottom and break things up with a plain white tee in between.

Key Pieces

Waven Denim Bomber Jacket Used Blue

Allsaints Hanako Switch Shorts

Cheap Monday Line Denim Shorts In Anti Blue

He By Mango Vintage Wash Denim Jacket

Uniqlo Men Chambray Long Sleeve Shirt

He By Mango Dark Denim Jacket

A.p.c. Washed-denim Short-sleeved Shirt

Reiss Falls Slim-fit Raw Jeans Indigo

Hackett Newburg Slim-fit Washed-denim Jeans

5. Bum Bags

If the prevalence of bucket hats and double denim on shop floors and ecommerce sites is anything to go by, summer 2015 is fast becoming the season to re-evaluate everything you thought you knew about style, and embrace time-honoured fashion faux pas with gusto.

And that includes the dodgiest style peripheral of all: the bumbag. Sure, the illustrious fannypack has its haters. But what this dubious backpack alternative lacks in size, it makes up for in street cred and personality.

They’re currently considered white hot by the hip-hop set and streetwear fanatics, and can look pretty cool slung over your shoulder or worn proudly across your chest. Just clip yours over some terrace gear or vintage sportswear for an outfit that nods toward the historic fashion crimes of the 1990s, but looks fresh as hell worn with a healthy dollop of irony today.